Meme Phenomenon 'Barbenheimer' Scores A Movie Deal, Set For Christmas Release

Internet meme "Barbenheimer" is making the jump to the big screen, with Full Moon Features planning a Christmas release on its streaming platform and Prime Video.

What Happened: The "Barbenheimer" meme started its journey on July 21, 2023, with the simultaneous release of Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer."

The unlikely duo sparked a meme frenzy, merging the two lead characters into a comical hybrid. The meme's widespread popularity eventually led to a movie deal, presently in pre-production stages with Full Moon Features, known for the "Trancers" and  "Puppet Master" movies, according to Gizmodo.

The meme has been a boon for both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." With Barbie becoming the highest grosser of the year and setting a new record for Warner Bros., "Oppenheimer" is on track to hit the $1 billion mark. Both films are expected contenders in the upcoming awards season.

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The forthcoming "Barbenheimer" movie is pitched as: "Deep within Dollsville, a team of disgruntled female dolls — spearheaded by the ingenious Dr. Barbenheimer — create an atomic bomb. Their goal? To dismantle the patriarchy once and for all! But as the gender war escalates, will Barbenheimer and her band of beauties cause more destruction than they planned?"

The film is scheduled to kick off production in October, with a Christmas release targeted on Full Moon's streaming service along with Prime Video.

Why It Matters: Barbie's successful live-action debut grossed over $1.03 billion globally within three weeks. The film played a significant role in the creation of the Barbenheimer meme. "Barbie," helmed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, marked a milestone by making Gerwig the first solo female director to cross the billion-dollar mark. The movie's success was lauded by Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps, Presidents of Domestic Distribution and International Distribution respectively, for Warner Bros Discovery Inc WBD.

These events underline the impact of popular culture on internet trends and the potential for these trends to transcend digital borders, influencing traditional entertainment mediums like film.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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